Dewey Update

Sunday, October 23, 2011

***New update at the beginning of hour 20***Pages Read: 1,096 (I broke the 1,000 mark!) Books Finished: 3 (75% through the 4th)Breaks Taken: I made a cup of tea to keep me going(last time: I slept. I wanted to take a "quick nap" and I've been asleep for almost 2 hours. Fail.) Coffee Consumed: 3 cups + 2 Starbucks Doubleshots Music Listened To: The Head and the Heart, Cat Power , Death Cab for Cutie, Max BruchCurrent Location: My chair in my library and the front porch swing.Biggest Distraction: My snoring husband and the desire to go to sleep(Past times: Sleep, oops. My dog, who thinks it's hilarious to grab a corner of my blanket and run with it. Also visiting other people's blogs and tweeting.)Mini-Challenges Completed: 11

(The books I read and finished, plus my kindle, which has A Discovery of Witches, which I am 78% done with)

Pet Hour 19 Mini-Challenge, hosted by A Buckeye GirlMy dog Oliver is only 10 months old, so he still has that puppy energy, despite his giant size. He has been, by far, my biggest distraction during the read-a-thon. He wanted to play tug-of-war with my blanket and he wanted me to take him outside to play fetch. But he also curled up with me and took a nap and kept me warm. The distraction is definitely worth it!

My top 5 favorite re-reads are as follows:1) The Harry Potter series - These books never fail to get under my skin2) Pride & Prejudice - Each time I read it the experience is deeper and I take away something new.3) The Book Thief - A WWII story told from death's point of view, sounds creepy, it's not.4) The Time Traveler's Wife - This story is just beautiful and never fails to make me cry.5) Tuck Everlasting - I don't know what it is about this book, but it is bittersweet and wonderful.

(Ollie finally fell asleep - Yay, but then I did too - boo)

I got my groove back guys! I put down both of the books I'm in the middle of, because they were just not doing it. Then I picked up And the Pursuit of Happiness and it was so freakin' good! It got me through my slump and now I'm back in the game. Woo hoo!

Mid-Event Survey:1. What are you reading right now? A Discovery of Witches2. How many books have you read so far? Only finished 1, boo3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? Um, "And the Pursuit of Happiness"4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? No5. Have you had many interruptions? Too many, usually my dogHow did you deal with those? Asked my husband to please, please take him outside.6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? I haven't read as much as the last one.7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? No, I love how it works!8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? Have more caffeinated beverages in the house.9. Are you getting tired yet? I just accidentally took a 2 hour nap, so yes.10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered? Read short books.

I just started In The Woods but had to put it aside when Laura Lippman's latest, The Most Dangerous Thing was waiting for me at the library. I figured I waited over a month for it to be available, so someone else is waiting for me to finish it. It's quite good. Freaky dark and sad, too.

Rating System

I rate on my personal reaction to the book, not its literary merit: ★ = one star ☆ = 1/2 star
★★★★★: A new favorite, a must-read
★★★★: Liked it a lot, but won't reread
★★★: Nothing special, but OK
★★: Not my cup of tea
★: Waste of time